Danna first used this blog to share news about her husband Mike's battle with a brain tumor. After Mike's death in July 06, the blog became Danna's place to process grief, reflect on the world, and share thoughts relating to her life and research on media and politics.

8.17.2006

Thursday, August 17, 2006 - 11:40 pm

Anyone have an easel or two we could use for the Tribute Show on August 27th? I have about 5 or 6, but we need a few more. Email me at 185cranios@gmail.com

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Tonight I went to see the movie "Little Miss Sunshine" with Kris O. We had a nice time.

It was weird seeing a movie in which someone dies (hope I'm not giving anything away here). It seemed so uneventful - "Been there."

It was also weird seeing a movie that would usually have had me crying. I am a big huge crier at movies. Garden State, Brokeback Mountain, Sleepless in Seatle - tears from beginning to end. But tonight? Nothing. Not even that tingling feeling inside my nose and eyes.

It was the first time in years that I have been in a movie theater without Michael. I can't honestly remember the last time I had been to see a film without him, other than those "reel moms" movies in Cherry Hill where breastfeeding moms take their little infants at like 11 am on a Tuesday.

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At one point in the film, the characters were riding in a van. Music played while the landscape travelled across the screen. It's during moments like these that you turn to your partner and share a sweet moment. You don't even know you do it, I bet, but I'm sure you do. And, if you don't, from now on you should. These musical lulls are when Mike and I would smoosh a little and hold hands a little tighter.

Only at this point in the film did I momentarily feel like sobbing. But I didn't. Instead I ate more popcorn.

I looked at the faces of the couples around us and thought of the words that Michael said to me every time we went to the movie theater together (which was quite often)...

3 comments:

Saw the darling "Little Miss Sunshine" film yesterday. My belly still hurts because I can verify from extreme personal experience that VW Buses ensure the FUN part of dysfunctional. This July we discovered that Deke and Diana agree the most fun family vacation was attributable to the breakdown of their VW Bus. It was the best vacation for them - because they stayed in a hotel with a swimming pool - rather than camping! The typical practice was that Deke pitched the tent with Chris via headlights. Mike, the youngest Young, adored camping. It is amazing how different sibling perspectives can be…

About Me

Danna, 38, earned her PhD in communication at the University of Pennsylvania and is now on the faculty of the University of Delaware. In July 2006, her talented husband, Mike Young, died after a nine month battle with a brain tumor.

Through the process of his illness and death, Danna found meaning in her own life and strength - in loved ones and in herself. She is the mother to their 9 year old son, Baxter. In May 2009, Danna married the loving and witty PJ Gallagher. In 2010, PJ adopted Baxter (who has called PJ "dad" since 2008), and the couple welcomed baby Edie Eileen Young Gallagher into the world in May 2010.